Banana Split
by Ms D Longbottom
Summary: Competition entry for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. "Honestly James I think Sirius is just over reacting" Sighed Lily. She and her boyfriend James Potter were doing their rounds on the 5th floor corridor. "Over reacting! You're tutoring a wanna-be death eater!" James hissed, his temper rising.


Bananna Spilt  
Team: Pride of Portree  
Position: Chaser one  
Pairing Chosen: James/Lily  
Character given: Regulus Black  
Prompts: Dialogue: "What are you smiling about?", Red nails, Breathless

"Honestly James I think Sirius is just over reacting" Sighed Lily. She and her boyfriend James Potter were doing their rounds on the 5th floor corridor.

"Over reacting?! You're tutoring a wanna-be death eater!" James hissed, his temper rising.

"James I'm fully aware of Sirius's suspicions when it comes to Regulus but the thing is we don't know for certain that his brother is a death eater. Yes he hangs around with some of the wrong crowd but that doesn't necessarily make him guilty does it?" She ruffed back at him rounding the corner.

She was getting sick and tired of her boyfriend and his best mate sicking their noses in her business.  
Proffessor Slughorn had asked her to tutor Regulus as he was falling behind in potions and by behind that meant he had received a troll grade in every potion he had so far attempted. She had tried to pursuade Slughorn to brush him off onto Snape but Slughorn wasn't having any of it. According to him he already had Severus working with two over members of Slytherin house; Avery and Crabbe. Thus Lily since she was tied for top in potions with Snape was to supervise and help Regulus.

"It's as good as! Are you sure you just can't push him off onto Snivlly?"

Lily felt the tips of her ears turning red with anger now. While Snape was no longer her friend or even aquantence she still hated James belittling him at every chance moment. That and she strongly believed that Regulus Black should not be judged based on his choices in friends.

"I've already told you Potter. Slughorn has him tutoring two others already my hands are tied. And stop calling him Snivlly! And just because I'm friends with the marauders doesn't make me an animagus does it?" She snarled, her true red-headed nature of fiery passion coming into play.

"Oh so it's Potter again is it? And for Merlin's sake Lils keep your voice down!" He yelled back at her, his fists clenched. It was beginning to look more and more like the old typical Evans-Potter stand off that was a frequent occurrence in fifth year.

"Well I can't seem to get through that thick skull of yours calling you James and your the one yelling! We're in a deserted corridor!" Her blood was boiling now. She refused to make eye contact with him.

They continued the rest of their patrol in a tense silence. Neither daring or wanting to speak to the other. Once they reached the heads common room Lily stormed up the stairs to her bed room, slamming the door in James's face. How dare he talk to her like that?! How dare he not listen to her?!

She yanked her school tie from around her neck and flung it onto the floor, her skirt and shirt soon joined it in a heap. She fell back on her bed in nothing but her underwear and sighed at the ceiling. She covered her face with her hands and felt her body tremble. Her and James had been arguing a lot more lately, even over little trivial things like the patrol schedule for the prefects or what time they'd head to breakfast in the morning. It was running her ragid and this tutoring thing was Reg was tipping the balance on the scale further.  
She exhaled deeply and forced all the air out of her lungs as she sat up. She needed a shower, she was sweaty and gross and needed the hot water to wash away some of the stress. There was no way in hell that she was going to see James again tonight, if she did she thought she might hex him.

Heaving herself off the bed she proceeded to her bathroom and turned the shower onto full blast and maximum heat. Stripping bare of her remaining under garments she stepped timidly beneath the almost scolding water, it burned against her skin but she didn't care. She scrubbed at her scalp with her red nails, the paint was chipping her noticed, well at least that gave her something to do for the remainder of the evening. She could hide away and paint her nails to her hearts delight.  
*****

"You're late Regulus" Lily scolded not looking up from her book.

She felt her blood pressure rising, she'd sat in the secluded corner of the library for over forty minutes waiting for him. He shrugged his shoulders and took a seat opposite her.

"Got better things to do then sit around the library studying potions with a mud... with you."

"Well I have better things to do then waste my time on you but guess what neither of us has a choice now tell me what do you expect to see with a alihotsy draught?"

"How should I know?" He grumbled folding his arms.

"Study. It's in chapter 3 of your book. A alihotsy draught induces hysteria. From it you expect to observe blue fumes. You can cause induced hysteria by means of drinking the potion its self or inhaling it's fumes." She replied dully, she knew he was bad but she hadn't expected him to so incompetent. "Read chapter 4 on blood replenishment potions and calming draughts then I'll quiz you"

She half expected him to protest or storm out of the library but he surprised her by pulling out his book and beginning to read. Satisfied she returned to her transfiguration book and gave him twenty minutes to read the chapter.

"Finished?" She asked

"Yeah, I guess."

"Alright. Why do we need blood replenishing potions?"

"For blood" He replied smartly, a cheeky grin forming on his face, which was very similar to that of his older brother's.

"Haha funny smart ass, now give me the answer I wanted." She replied tartly in the same tone she used on Sirius.

"In the case of where a witch or wizard has lost a lot of blood or to dilute poison until an antidote can be found?" He asked sheepishly.

"Correct. Now in the case of an unknown poisoning how often must the potion be taken?"

"Every hour?"

"Good, see you are capable of doing this so why don't your grades reflect it?"

"I don't really know how to study. I mean I can read and stuff but I forget it after a few hours."

"In that case every time you read a new chapter, make bullet point notes on a piece of parchment and stick it to your bed hangings." She replied simply.

"My bed hangings?" He asked confused.

"Yes, that way you'll find yourself re-reading it before you go to sleep and when you wake up. You'll be training your brain to remember it. It's what I do for transfiguration. Professor Slughorn tells me you also struggle with the practical element of potions?"

"Can't keep up" He mumbled.

"That's fine, timing isn't too bad of an issue to fix. Once you can actually accomplish a potion well we can work on improving your timing. I want you to do what I've suggested for the next two chapters. I'll see you in dungeon two at 5pm on Wednesday for a practical session. Think you can remember that?"

"Yeah..." He replied packing away his things and shuffling off out of the library. Not soon after he left James entered and breathless sat in the chair which Regulus had just vacated.

"So how's the slimy slytherin?" Lily scowled at him and ignored him "What?"

"Is that all you have to say? No apology? Nothing? Reg was just fine thanks."

"Just fine? What's he say?"

"Proves how much you listen to me Potter. He was fine to work with and has a mix of Sirius's cheek"

"So we're back to Potter again are we?" He sighed.

"We are indeed until you apologise. And for your information I will be tutoring him again. We have a practical session in the dungeons on Wednesday." With that said she removed herself from her seat and stormed out of the library, leaving a stunned James Potter behind.  
*****

"What are you smiling about?" Lily asked watching Regulus grin into his bubbling cauldron.

"It worked! It actually worked!" He said with glee. Lily snorted.

"Of course it worked, sometimes following the book exactly doesn't get the best results. It's all about using common sense and initiative."

"Thanks Evans. For a lion you're alright."

"Don't let any other slytherins catch you saying that. I doubt they'd be pleased that you're even in the company of a mudblood." Lily replied coldly. Regulus looked hurt.

"I never called you that."

"You almost did in our first meeting in the library. Don't think I didn't notice." She explained. "I'm not an idiot"

"I never said that either. I actually think your pretty smart. I can see what Snape saw in you. You're actually quite pretty for a muggle-born." She said sheepishly, the characteristic Sirius smile forming on his face. Lily felt the heat rising in her cheeks as she blushed.

"Thanks" She mumbled.

"Hey Evans?" He asked.

"Lily" Regulus Black looked puzzled for a moment. His eye brows raising slightly. "You can call me Lily." She continued.

"Oh right... Anyway Lily... There's something I've been meaning to do." His voice wavered.

"And what's that?" Lily questioned.

"This" He said, before assaulting her lips with his own.

The kiss was wet, rushed and not overly pleasant. But Lily found herself kissing him back anyway. James had not kissed her for weeks and she longed to feel something, someone, to be touched. Regulus's lips were jerked away from hers suddenly and when she opened her eyes in surprise she found herself eye to eye with her very angry boyfriend. James was holding Regulus by the scruff of his neck. The poor boy was left hanging about three inches off the ground.

"James. Put him down" Lily said softly.

"Oh now we're back to James?" He spat at her. Sweat dripping off his forehead. "I come down after quidditch practise scouring the dungeons looking for you! To apologise to you! To find you making out with this slimy git behind my back?"

"Hey you can't talk to her like that!" Regulus said finding his voice and shaking himself free of James's grip.

"I think you'll find I can talk to her however I like" He growled at the younger boy and drew his wand.

"James no!" Lily screamed seeing what he was about to do. She tried to tug his arm back as he fired a hex at the slytherin boy. Regulus fortunately ducked and drew his own wand.

"We're over Evans." He said angrily and spat at her feet. "Snape I could understand but this? I wash my hands of you"

"James no! Wait! Please!" She hurriedly followed him out of the dungeons but it was too late. James Potter had made his decision. He'd broken up with her because of a kiss with Regulus Black.


End file.
